Closure for bottles and other containers



July 28, 1936. G. JACKSON 2,048,699

CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND OTTHER CONTAINERS Filed NOV. 14, 1955 INVENTOR /ATTO.RNEY

Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED? CLOSURE the BOTTLES AND OTHER 1 CONTAINERS PATENT OFFICE Gilbert Jackson, NewYork, N. Y. Application November 14, 1933. Serial No: 697,892 2' Claims. -(c1. 215-22) My invention relates to closures and itnarticularly relates to non-refillable closures for" bottles and similar liquid containingreceptacles. Inmy Patent No. 1,348,116, dated July 27, 1920, I have disclosed a non-refillable bottleclosure or cap which had for its object the preventing of the refilling of bottles after they had been emptied. In said patent there was disclosed a hollow valve member which cooperated with apylihdrical valve seat insertedin themouthof the bottle.- Above the valve and thevalve seat was'positioned a movable ball; The ball-was confined between the valve member on oneside; and at the other side contacted with a concavecontact member;-

As disclosed in said-patent; the valve member was preferably of a porous material; This porous material was of such a nature that the valve. when wet. would attach i-tself' firmly; to its; seat when the bottle'was upright and yet not prevent said valve leaving its seat, when the bottle was inverted. I 1 f 1 p An object of the present invention is to provide a non-refillable bottle closure of the type, as above described; in which the valve member and its associatedparts would be constructed of nonporous material andin which the various; parts of the structure may be; most inexpensively and easily constructed from readily available materials, as for example, plastics; such. as bakelite. Another'object is to provide a; non refillable bottle closure of the type above. described in which the closure is; positively effected and the valve is forced positively to its seat when the bottle is not in inverted discharging position.

Other objects will appear during the course of the following specification. I s

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention i't-has been found most suitable in one embodiment to provide a valve casing. having an upper closure; exteriorly exposed,.and a lower opening to communicate with theinterior of the container or bottle.

The lower portion of the valve casing may be'of a decreased diameter so as to fit conveniently into the neck-of; the bottle, a shoulder being preferably provided on the casing to. limit insertion thereof; a

'Interiorly positioned inthe valve. casing is a valve memberpreferably of hollow construction, the lower end of whichvalve'member is conformed so as to cooperate with avalve seat interiorly formedin the bottom of the casing adja-' cent the interior opening thereof above described. Inthe upper part of said is preferably v provided a: ball which cooperates with a concaved member'inthe upper part of the casing and with a conical or other domed portion at the top of the movablevalve. a

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several featuresof the invention,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the non-refillable sealing device of. my invention. Fig., 2 is a transverse sectional vi'ew upon the line 2'2 of Fig. 1'. V

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view line 3-3 of Fig. 1. 7

Figs. 4, 5 and Gare perspective views of the various elements of my construction. removed from the assembly in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. I, the bottle or other container Bis providedwith a cylindrical mouth ID. The bottle is adapted to receive alcoholic beverages or any other liquid. to be dispensed.

.Thecylindricalvalve casing l2 is'provided with 7 10. upon the an insert portion l3 ofreduced' diameter, which is inserted in the opening I in themouth or neck of thelbottleB and is stopped by the shoulder 15 on the upper rim I6 of the mouth of the bottle lll'.

The insert portion 7| 3 is provided with a peripheral groove 52 adjacent its lower end. The casing I2 is provided with a lower opening H, the upper part of which is provided with the spherical depression l9, said depression [9. serving as a valve seat to cooperate with the spherical surface 20 on the valve memberZl. j v7 The valve member 2|, as shown in Figskl, 3 and 6, has a cylindricalhollow cup-shaped body 22, exteriorly provided with symmetrically spaced fins 23. The. fins 23 centrally locate the valve within the lower chamber. of the casing l2. i

The lower part of the valve member. 2 l ,as indicated at 25;.projects downwardly past the conical valve seat 19 into the opening I"! .(see Fig. 1)

" The lower portions of the fins are steeplyb'ev- 40 elled, as indicated at 21 (see Figsgl and 6), so that they will clear the valve seat 19.,

As shown in Fig. 3, the fins 23 space the cylindrical body 22 from the walls of thelower chamber 24 of the casing l2 with the formation'of the flow passage 28, which permit ready egress of liquid from the mouth IU of the bottle B past the valve body 2|, when. the valve is lifted from its seatl9. a

V The top 29 of the valve body 22, as shownin Figs. 1 and 6, is flattened and into the upper portion of the cup. 22 is inserted the lower contact element 30 for the locking ball 3|;

The contact element. 30 is provided with a.

' with the upper flattened face 29 or the valve 'member 2|. From the side of'the disk member 3| 'extendr'the fins 32, which are preferably positioned directly above and in alignment with: the 5 fins 23; so aslto-continuethe flow passage 28 rpastzthe structure 30. From the lower part of j l the disk 3| projects the nipple insert 33', which fits into' the upper'part of the cup; opening 34 of the valve body22.

V When the contact member ispressedinto position; a body of air will be confined in the in- 'terior of the cup 34 under a slight pressure. The

7 upper part, of the ball contactmember 3.0'is suitably domed to cause the ball" 3|, as shown in 1 15 Fig. 1, to roll outwardly of the casing l2 against {the interior wall of the middle orintirhediate chamber 35 when the boti' le;is-upright. 5' 2 In the present invention causing the ball. to .roll toward the wallf of the middle chamber 35 of the casing I2. I f a V Aslshownin Figs. 1, 2 and +1 into thegupper 1- chambertfl of thefcasing |2' isin'sertedjthecon- V 5 cave ball contact member '38,: the symmetrically I positioned fins 39 of which rest upon theshoulder V '40'at the bottom of said chamber 31, it

r l' 'I'lieconcavity or depressionifl of the element 1; 38; asshownin' Fig.1, is adaptedito receive the ball 3| when the casing I2 is inverted with'the 1 When theibottlelis in normal upright position,

in- Fig.1 1, theib'all 3| wi11.be"divierted j a to theoutside of't'he chamber .359bythe;c0ne. as

,SO-that the ball 3llwill'we'dge between the edge 4'l 'of'the upper. contact member of ,-.the cone36 ofthelower l contact membei 30 as indicatedjin c .a-Asihdicateci in henhs 39f-will" dint 40 thendwipsssa ges 42,""'symmetricallypositionedaround the p iphery of the chamber 3'l. These. ,i flow passages 42 willfcooperatewith theiiowpas- V sages 28 to {permit liquidto' flow pastthevalve 2|, and'theconcave contact member 33.

45 7 From the main-body 4301 the concave member 38 I extend upwardly the arcuate .fins 44, provid jedwithinotches 45 These fins'44, contact with the upper closure member having a portion'4'l' V 'sages'f42-past the concave contact member 38 and the passages '28 pastthevalve member 2| and with the opening 1 inlthe lower part of the, casing l2, whereby liquid. may be poured out-oi?.the..inverted bottle |0,' when the valve2l,

lifted.from itsseat' I9} c- 'In operation, whenv the bottle" is in upright posltion .or is in horizontal position; the'ball 3| ;wil1J-slide.or roll cover "the cone 36 totthe side t vor the chamber 35, c0ntacting with the interior 7 v walls thereof,.as indicated V-in.Fig. 1... 'I

111' when the ball -3| i moves-Ito: the side ofllth e )jl'chamber35, it will'wedge betweenthe'oute'rlower c 'portioh' of the upper concave contact member 7 V ,.38:jand-the lower domedcontactmember30 and Jwill force, the; valve r-22iagainst its seat l9, -pre-' 'venting .fiowof liquid'reversely, from; the, opening 50 andthroughthe opening l'l into the bottle J0, .so rthat the bottle cannot be. refilled. V .l- [Whenflthe bottle has "been turned so that 7 its h "nioti'this inclined downwardly'with ani'inclmav a conical some at is shown, but .it is 'understood'that any 'otherw .7 '20 type of dome strncture maybe employed for Vsion ing 2 andthree flow passages 42 past the upper p 2,048,699 2' a a -1;

tion substantially below horizontal, approaching 27 the vertical inverted position, the ball 3 I will "roll or slide into the concavity 40. This will permit the valve 22 to move from: its seat l9 under the pressure 01 liquid in the bottle l0, wherebyta 5 ready exit of liquor may take place through the 7 opening l1, the passages 28 and 42 and the opening 50. t a

,The, upperiace or the lower ball-contact member 3illmayialsdsbeidomedto. conform withthe c concave concavity of the depression 40. in any 1' case, at the axis of the combination at 5|,there i ,wculd .be a. verticahspacing between the upper-*' most portion of the dome 36 and the uppermost portion 01 10f colic-51 31 ,insteadfof fdished, as shown,

similar to the bone 36; iwith the slopingiaces of the omef36 and the concavity 43 converging as 25 h s ew-1m t k sii e sit ace -3j4 inside or the valvemember 2 may 'beadv'antagoiis inv 'cjertain connections. I11a vacuiim 'isiapplied'tothe closure 46,, such vssu uuinwill result in' thei-air, compre'ssedin the "30 cup; 34-; -egzpapding pressing the elementBfl upwardly to' jam the-ball -3| between thedome I The entire'i structurefshown ;may- 'be formed of Bakelite parts oroi'othefmolded orshapedplas- 35 tic jmaterials- -It"lis also. possible to make the structure; of otherij nia'terials, for example;f the ball beinfg' m'ost satisfactorily 0'! a hard glass. JVIV cwill'ben oted thatf'no matter'how much the device is shaken or: 'jbggled when-in uprishtfposi tionthe bottle will not be open torrefillingl It is not possible to insert: any element through'the v opening 50 which willjpermit vopeningof the valve 22. It maybe noted that there is no direct pas sage-for the insertion of a pin'orsimila'r elementv from the opening into the chamber-35 for mov-- ing the ballbacli toward the axis 5| or the structure, since the passageways communicate with the spacednside' of, the; fins 44. It is necessary 'for the, liquid flowing to the opening 50 from the chamber. 35' to flow first: to the side'oithepas V sages 42 before entering the passagesfl in passa ing across the main body 43 of the upper contact-member 33," w

' The presentgconstruction" is particularly ad- 5 vantageous inasmuch as it is not necessary to make the valvemember 2| ora non-porous material. BY inserting the upper contact element 38 in positionin the manner shown without threading the exteriorthereof the expense of 61 construction is materially decreased. The provifour flow passages 28 'past the valve cascontact member'38 assures a moreeven andtbetter exit'of liquid when thebottleis inverted for dis? "6: pensing purposes'. 1 Y a Whereit is not'desired to utilize the "air in the clip the valvemember 2| maybe made of solid construction; but it "preferably is of such construction that @it shouldi floatin liquid and be non- "7 porousso asnotto saturateitseli with-the liquid contained inthe bottle o ij dispensed thereby. i;

What is claimedisz;

1.11"; a non-refillable closure for liquid'con taming" bottles and similar 'receptacles, a main the dome 40 which will be greater 15 v than-the maximum diameter of the ball. Toward the wall sof the chamber 35 this spacing should decreaseso' thattheball will-wedge or jam as casing provided with a nipple portion of decreased diameter to be inserted into the top of the container with a shoulder with the top of said portion of decreased diameter to contact with the top of the bottle and limit the insertion of the cylindrical member, said casing being provided with three chambers of increasing diameter upwardly, the lower chamber being provided with a central axial opening into the bottle and the upper chamber being provided with an annular closure, the lower chamber receiving a hollow cylindrical valve member, the center chamber receiving a ball and the upper chamber receiving an upper contact member, the valve member being provided at its lower end with a conical face cooperating with a conical valve seat in the lower part of the lowermost chamber of said casing, and at its upper end with a conical structure for contact with the ball in the center chamber and causing it to move toward the exterior of said center compartment and the upper contact member being provided with a center concavity for receiving said ball when the bottle is in inverted position, whereby said valve may be removed from said valve seat by gravity and the pressure of the liquid in the bottle, said valve member and said upper contact member being provided with a plurality of fins to form flow passages in the upper and lower chambers permitting free egress of liquid when said bottle is in inverted position.

2. In a non-refillable closure for bottles and other containers, a main casing provided with three chambers of increasing diameter upward-e ly, the lower chamber receiving a hollow cylindrical valve member, the center chamber receiving a ball and the upper chamber receiving an upper contact member, the'valve member being provided with a bottom valve portion cooperating with a valve seat in the lower part of the lower chamber of said casing, the upper portion of said valve being provided with a dome structure for contact with the ball in the center compartment to cause it to move toward the exterior of said center compartment and the upper contact member being provided with a central depression for receiving said ball when the bottle is in an inverted position, whereby said valve may be removed from said valve by gravity and the weight of the liquid in the bottle.

. GILBERT JACKSON. 

